Favorite Books?

The CCBC (Children's Cooperative Book Center - at the University of Wisconsin Madison) listserv is asking members to share their favorites of 2008 during the month of December, as they do every year at this time. I truly feel at a disadvantage - many of the people of this listserv are librarians who have "free" access to new books and can read them as soon as they are out. Me on the other hand, get books often after they come into paperback or get books a year or more after they first come out. I'm ok with that. As a matter of fact, that is the way I like to read - I read by interest, not by reading what just is published (although, if it's highly touted, I may buy it in hardcover and rush out to purchase it).

For example, I just finished The Invention of Hugo Cabret - the 2008 Caldecott (but published in 2007 - so it is not of this year). I will write another post about this book - it was quite a surprise for me.

Hence, much of what I read is published past the current year - even long past the current year. This is fine by me. However, when it comes time to reflect on the year of books through the CCBC listserv, I feel a bit left out. But the good thing is, my running list of books I want to purchase and read when they come out in paperback now grows - as I see what other experts recommend as the best of the year.

Aesthetic Experience Picture Book

Inventor McGregor by Kathleen T. Pelley and illustrated by Michael Chesworth. (2006 - Farrar Straus Giroux)

A fun picture book on the Best Children's Books of the Year 2007 list put out by Bank Street College of Education. It is categorized as humor, but I think it's much deeper than that. Hector McGregor lives with his cheery and eccentric family (including a hen named Hattie who travels on Hector's head) and is well known for his inventing and helping devise things to help the townsfolk out - from mending broken things to "concoct(ing) some thingamabob or thingamajig to make their world a little better or brighter." I personally appreciate the helping hands gizmo that gets strapped to the shoulders that he invented for Mrs. McIver who has triplets. With her 7 mechanical arms, she can now wipe noses, feed children and provide them with what they need without challenge.

Hector is very creative, and this creativity is fueled by his devotion to keeping the arts in his and his family's life as "in between his ideas simmering and sparking," he spends time with nature, taking in the sights and sounds, painting and playing his fiddle. Each night before the family goes to bed, Hector plays his fiddle and his family dances and makes merry.

All is well and good until one day he is approached by the President of the "Royal Society of Inventors" and encouraged to take a job in the city where he could invent all day in his own laboratory. After some hesitation, he takes the job. Sadly this means long treks into the city by train and long days of sitting alone dressed in his new white lab coat and badge in a sterile and silent lab. It also means getting home too late at night to spend time playing and dancing with his beloved family. He is unable to do any inventing...the creative well is dry. Looking out the window one day, he sees workers repainting the sign of the toy store across the street. In a flash of creativity he runs over and borrows the paint. He decorates the massive white walls of of his lab with huge pictures of his family engaged in fun activities. Doing this, he realizes where he really wants to be and dashes out to join his old daily life with his family at home.

Finally, back at home, his ideas and creativity again flows. New inventions pour out of him. He is happy to be where is most creative "just as long as he could sing and paint, and fiddle and fling, and love all that he had to love."

Love the idea of this book. It really speaks to the creative process. It's hard to be creative if you aren't in a place where you feel comfortable and open. I know this feeling myself.

The illustrations look to be watercolors. Whenever Hector is happy and feeling creative, the colors are bright and alive. From the bright red shock of wild hair on his head to bright colors of his natural surroundings, the mood portrays energy and happiness. When the story and Hector are unhappy, the colors are dull--such as when the president of the Royal Society of Inventors pays a visit - the sky pours down rain and the colors are drab blues and purples, signifying the upcoming doom. Hector's lab in the city is depicted on a double page spread that bleeds off the pages, done in neutral colors including Hector's white lab coat - again, showing the drab feelings he is experiencing.

Fun book!

Beginning the Musings

Time to begin a blog devoted to what I read, typically a lot of children's and young adult literature. My writing partner and friend Kathy are waiting to hear if an "esteemed" publisher of books for teachers wants to publish our children's literature book - our second book together. While we wait, and continue to do some writing for it, I thought starting a blog to reflect on my reading would be a good diversion.

So what I am reading now? I just finished Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - the latest rage for mostly female teenagers (and many adults). A colleague who doesn't read a lot raved about it (her teenaged daughters cooerced her to read it) and convinced me to buy it, even though I had picked it up numerous times over the last year at bookstores and then put it down - turned off by the vampire theme - not something I thought I had an interest in. But I read all 544 pages of it in one weekend, not something I do too frequently anymore, what with a 3 year old and 5 year old in my life. Not the best writing in my opinion, but I was interested in it and even am highly motivated to see the movie that was released two weeks ago.

Adult book I just finished last night - The Sharper the Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn. One of my reading passions - reading about food and cooking. I loved the look into what it takes to be in culinary school. Not a dream of mine, but something that fascinates me.

Two books on the docket, waiting on my nightstand:

1. Jia: A Novel of North Korea by Hyejin Kim

This book is for the January book club meeting of my Korean Reading Book Club - a book club I started with other women who are adoptive parents of Korean children. We read a book each month on topics related to adoption, Korean adoption, international adoption, Korea, Korean history, memoirs of Koreans and adopted Koreans. We've been together for 5 years now and surprisingly have no shortage of books to choose from!

2. Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity by Beverly Daniel Tatum

This is a book that is also "due" in January as my class of teachers I teach on Wednesday evenings have decided to read this book that is said to be applicable to many of their teaching situations and classrooms.

I have a few other children's books lined up, ones that I will read that are not required. Sometimes having "required reading" can be a chore, even when they are books that I enjoy or that I am reading for a good purpose -- that is when I sneak in a few that are "fun books."